Correspondence

Description

Series I: Correspondence is comprised of letters relating to the Anthony and Tyson families of Massachusetts and Maine. Most of the correspondence is from Sarah (Anthony) Tyson (1842-1873) to her mother, Anne Anthony (b. 1817), and focuses on Tyson’s life while living in Shanghai, China. In 1863, Sarah and her husband, George Tyson (1831-1881), relocated to Shanghai; George was working for Russell and Company, an import/export business. Some of the letters chronicle Tyson’s journey from New Bedford, Massachusetts, to Shanghai, China, and include letters sent from Baltimore, Maryland; Liverpool, England; Paris, France; Alexandria, Egypt; Galle, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka); and Nagasaki, Japan. Most of the letters reflect daily life and social interaction among American and British citizens residing in China and Japan during the mid-nineteenth century. The letters also discuss personal issues regarding Tyson’s married life, pregnancies, motherhood, and missing family events in New Bedford. An account sheet regarding a shipment of goods received by Tyson, while in China, from Paris, France is also contained within the letters (#1.6). Additionally, the China correspondence includes letters addressing the American Civil War (1861-1865), in which Tyson’s brother,Edward Anthony (b. 1844), served as a soldier in the Union Army. Letters addressing the war contain personal commentaries on the conflict and reveal news of President Abraham Lincoln’s (U.S. President, 1861-1865) assassination (#1.8). Other recipients of Tyson’s letters include Tyson’s father, Caleb Anthony (b. 1797); sister, Annie Anthony (b. 1853); brother, Edward Anthony (b. 1844); an unidentified "Elizabeth;"and an unidentified "List." The series also contains letters focusing on Tyson’s social life while in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Likewise, letters received by Tyson from her mother, Anne Anthony (b. 1817), and sister, Annie Anthony (b. 1853), are included in the correspondence. A letter from George Tyson (1831-1881) to his mother-in-law, Anne Anthony (b. 1817), concerning Sarah’s miscarriage (#1.6) is also contained in the correspondence. Fragments of letters regarding the social activities of the Anthony and Tyson families, Chinese New Year, and dolls, are also included in the series. The series also contains correspondence received by Elizabeth (Tyson) Vaughan (1871-1949), Sarah’s daughter. These letters date to the first decades of the 20th century. The series is arranged in two subseries.